About the Duties of a Radiology Technician

A radiology technician can work in a hospital, clinic and diagnostic center. This healthcare professional learns his or her training from an accredited college, technical school or university. Depending on the degree pursued, radiology technician programs can be one to four years long.

Diagnostic Duties

The most important part of a radiology technician's duties is his or her ability to operate and use diagnostic equipment. The medical equipment this person uses includes magnetic resonance scanners and ultrasound machines. This professional also performs diagnostic duties by correctly setting the equipment's controls. A radiologic technician must know and understand how to properly operate the equipment he or she uses.

Patient Care

Another duty of a radiology tech is patient care. This job is critical in diagnosing diseases, cancers and conditions of the human body. It is also critical in making patients feel comfortable with the procedures they need. A technician must be considerate and professional in his or her duties. Patients who are very ill will need special handling before, during and after diagnostic tests. Understanding how to move, prepare and position patients with life-changing conditions is important to a technician’s job.

Types of Procedures

The types of procedures a radiology technician can do are many. It is a good idea for this professional to learn as many techniques as he or she can while in school or on the job. According to the United Department of Labor, radiology technicians with more than one skill will have the best job prospects. Highly skilled technicians may command better pay and opportunities to succeed in healthcare.

Procedures include:

• Mammograms


• Computed tomography scans


• Computerized axial tomography scans